Combined tack-driver and carpet-stretcher.



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P T S fl E P R A .C H

D .HN MA SR .E Ew B D K c A, T D E N B M o C (Appucaeiqn med Feb. 2, 1900.)

(nu model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD SMITH, F rUsooLA, ILLINOIS, As'sIeNoR or ONE-HALE To EMERY O. SMITH,

j OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,729, dated June 12, 1900. Applicationtiearebmmyz,1,900. serai No. 3,714. (Normaal-.1.a

To a/ZZ whom. it may concern..-

Be it known that I, EDWARD SMITH, aV citi.`

zen of the United States, residing at Tuscola,

in the county of Douglas and State ofIllinois,l` have invented a new and useful Combined` Tack-Driver and Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for driv-A ing tacks and stretching carpets when cornthese projected portions cut away, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The downwardly-projecting portion 12 of the guide-funnel is tapered to form a toothl for a purpose which will `be the plate 10, and in this slot of the platelois'4 disposed a spring-finger 14, the lower end of which bears upon the inner face of the exten-y sion 12 to hold a tack yieldably thereagainst.

Against the rear edges of the upper extenstretched to the desired tension, and the tack may then be driven in its proper position to hold the carpet.

A further object of the invention is to pro-` vide a structure inwhich a number of tacks folded against the other without precluding the operation ofthe driver.

In the drawings forming a portion of this.

specication, and in which similar numerals ot' reference designate like and corresponding parts in the lseveral views, Figure 1 'isa perspective View of the implement in its unfolded position and with the plunger raised and ready fordriving tacks. Fig. 2 is a front view showing I[he lower portion of the driveron an enlarged scale and illustrating the ar-l rangement of the tacks` in the carryingor feed tube. Fig. 3 isa side elevation showing the lower end of the implement with the carpetstretcher in its folded position.

\ Referring now to the drawings,the present invention comprises a post 5, having a handle. 6 at Vits upper end, and upon whichf post `is fixed a casing 7, which receives a slidable plunger in the form of a rod 8, having a knob 9 at its upper end, this plunger being adapted for reciprocation and-toproject below the casingwhenmovedtoitsnormalposition. Upon the lower end of the post- 5 is fixed a plate 10,l having a funnel-shaped guide 11 mounted thereon or formed integral therewith, this guide being formed to project above and below the plate and having the rear walls of sion 15 of the guide-funnel and between said funnel and thepost 5 is disposed a plate 1G,

which isheld against the post in any suitablev manner and inthe upper edge of which is an arc-shaped recess 17'of somewhat more than one hundred and eighty degrees, and at one side of this recess there is a longitudinal extension 18, having a tapered notch 19 in its edge adjacentthe recess 17. A spring-finger l20 is fixed tothe end of the plate 16 on the opposite side of the recess 17 from the projection 18, and this finger extends across the recess and has its free end bent upwardly to lie against theA upper face of the notch or slot 19 adjacent the outer end of the latter. The

rear wall 0i' the plate 16 is recessed, this re- `cessextending from the -upper endl of the plate to substantially one-half the depth of `the recess 17, and in this recess in the rear ofthe plate isidisposed the lower end of a slotted'feed-tube 21, the upper end of which ispivoted to the post5,`as shown at Fig. 1, while its lower end, which lies in the said fslot in the plate 16, is adapted for swinging movement in said slot, whereby the slot of the tube may alternately register with the opening of theslo't 17 and lie behind the projection 1S, this feed-tube being adapted to be held yieldably in operative relation to the slot 17 by means of a spring-finger 22, carried tion, when the tack will drop to the spring IOO e l l 651,729

20. The return movement of the feed-tube will then movethetack -into the notch 19 and below the spring 20, and the return movement of the tube will precipitate the tack into the recess 117 When the tack falls into the recess 17, its head will strike upon the base of the recess, causing the tack t'otilt and fall point downward into'theguide-funnel and in engagement with the spring 14. If the plunger 8 be then moved downwardly,

it will engage the tack and force it through,

the guide-tunnel and int'o a board of the door.

In order to automatically rock or oscillate the feed-tube under the influence of the plunger, a rock-lever 23 is mounted upon the face of the post 5 and with its lower end against the side of the guide-tube atthe opposite side from the spring-finger 22.

adapted for engagement by the plunger to rock the lever and move the feed-tube to lie behindthe projection 1S, as illustrated in Fig'.

v2. VWhen the plunger is raised, it passes from engagement with the flange 24 and permits the lever 23 to move under the influence of the spring-linger 22, which moves the feed` tube 21 into registry with the recess 17. Thus,

4 whereby the lever may be moved wit-h a swinging motion to project its end beneath the post. This end of the lever has a bifurcated plate 27, secured thereto in a position toreceive the extension l2 of the guide-funnel between the bifurcations thereof, and upon the underside of this bifurcated plate are teeth 28.` The movement of the lever 25 in one dilinks 26 is limited by a metallic strap 29,

which is passed transversely of the underz sideof the lever and has its ends bent upwardly between the links 26 and then bent outwardly and downwardly to lie against the vss for the links.

With the structure described it will be seen a carpet, after which the device may be manipulated to stretch the carpet in the'direction of the teeth 13, so as to lie against the tooth, and that the plunger 8 may then be operated to drive a tack through the carpet and into the door. A

It will of course be understood that in practice various modifications of the invention may be made, `and as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings there may be employed a guide The upper end of` the lever 23 has'a curved flange 24,.which is comprising a plate 30, having an 'iipt'urned edge for `guiding the tacks intlieir application to the feed-tube. y

Any suitable materials may be employed for the various parts of the structure and any desired proportions may be used without departingjxfrom the Spirit of the invention.

It will be noted that the spring 14 lies in the hollow of the guide-funnel and that the lower end ofthe funnel has ears 12, which vproject rearwardly, so that thisfinclosure of the. spring is Vmaintained at all times. The object of this construction is to insure proper kcoepe'ration between the spring andthe funnel, so that the head of the tack will be securely held by the spring and funnel until the tack has been Well started in the `heard.

vcarpet-tack is driven labout one-third of its length into the board before the head ot the vtack passes from the inclosure of the ears 12 What is claimed Vis-l Y 1. A device of the Aclass described comprising a post, a guide-funnel mounted upon the post and having a tack-retaining finger, a plate in the rear of the funnel and having a recess opening thereinto, a projection adjacent the open end of the recess, and having a notch, a sprin g-fln ger disposed transversely of the recess and entering the notch in the projection, a slotted feed-tube pivoted upon the post and adapted for movement to aline .its slot alternately with the opening of said 'recess andl with thenotch, and a plunger mounted upon Vthe post and adapted to enter the guide-funnel to drive a tack therefrom,

said plunger being adapted for oscillation of the feed-tube.

` 2. A device of the class :described comprising a post having a guide-funnel adapted to `receive andhold tacks, said funnel having a slot in the rear and communicating therewith, a plate in the rear of the funnel and having a .recess in its upper edge, a feed-tube disposed to discharge tacks into said recess to strike with the headsthereof against the rection upon its pivotal connection with the l bottom of the recess, a plunger adapted to enter they funnel and drive the tacks therefrom, and means operated by the plunger for oscillation of the feed-tube.`

3. A device of the class 'described comprisv i in g a post having a guide-funnel and adapted outer faces of the links, thus forming guides to receive and Vhold a tack, aplate adjacent v the `funnel and having 'a recess communi-catg ing with the `funnel, a projectionupon the that the tooth 13 may be engaged with the f `floor and that teeth 28 may be engaged with plate adjacent the recess, a notch in the projection, a spring-finger disposed transversely IIO tube pivoted upon the post and having its lower enddisposed behind the plate to'register its slot alternately with the recess and the notch, means for holding the tube yiel'dably with its slot in registration with the recess, means for moving the tube to its opposite position, and a plunger adapted to operate said the post, and a strap engaged with the lever and having its ends bent over the links to form guides therefor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 15 my own I have hereto aihxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDVARD SMITH.

` Witnesses:

H. T. BAKER, F. T. RoLosoN. 

